Fire-escape



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model) D. U. PIERCE.

FIRE ESCAPE. NO.

' Patented-Jan. 8, 1884 WITNESSES n i m 0 0 I m w W n 07204277. 91 raw/ 2 (No Model.) 2 SheetsSheet 2.

D. UPIERGE.

FIRE ESCAPE.

No. 291,532. Patented Jan. 8, 1884.

I IN\ hlk "1 CYWITJVESSES; r I

'NITED STATES Arena trier-i.

DENISON C. PIERCE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

FIRE-ESCAPE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 291,532, dated January 8, 1884:.

Application filed April is, 1883. (No model.)

Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain Improvements in Fire-Escapes, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to fire-escapes; and it consists in a tubular shell or sheath fixed alon g the upper part of the building, and having an internal track to receive a truck or car carryinga sheave, over which sheave a rope or cable passes from a cab toa'windlass, the car being moved in one direction by a rope or cable attached toone of its ends and passing about a pulley to awindlass, and travelingin the opposite direction, when permitted so to do, by reason of the weight of the cab acting through the hoisting-rope, which passes over the sheave of the car and thence to a pulley at one side thereof, and tends constantly to move the car toward said pulley.

The invention. further consists in providing both windlasses with brakes, which serve to hold them normally against winding or unwinding, and in various other features and details of construction hereinafter fully set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a face view of a building provided with my improved escape; Fig. 2, alongitudinal section through the shell or sheath, cab, and windlass Fig. 3, a transverse section through the sheath or shell and. the cornice beneath which it is applied 5 Fig. 4, asectional view of the Windlass, showing the arrangement of one of the brakes; Fig. 5, a perspective view of the car in which the sheave is mounted, and Fig. 6 a cross-section of the tube. i

The design of the present invention is to provide an escape capable of easy application to buildings without special provision being made thereforin building; which shall be simple and efficient in operation, and not liable to be rendered useless by snow, ice, or heat, and by which persons may be readily taken from any part of that face or front of the building to which the escape is applied; also, to

enable firemen to reach any portion of the ing rope passes, and means by which the car may be'caused to travel along the front or face of the building from side to side, either simultaneously with the hoisting of the cab or otherwise, whereby the cab may be caused to rise and fall obliquely and pass from window. to

window diagonally acrose the face of the building, or to rise and fall vertically at any point in the width of the building. This will be more readily understood upon referring to the accompanying drawings, in which- A represents the front or face of abuilding, having a cornice, B, as usual ,which latter is utilized as a cover or protection for a tubular shell or sheath, C, preferably of rectangular form in cross-section, as shown in Fig. 3, and having in its lower side, at the middle, a longitudinal slot, a, at each side of which is atrack or rail, b. The shell or sheath is suspended from the cornice or secured to the front of the building in any suitable manner, though it is preferred to pass eyebolts h down through the cornice and screw them into the sheath, as in Figs. 2 and 3,the eyebolts being in turn supported by rods t, which, in the case of a raised pediment or cornice, are bent over and turned inward into recesses in the back of the pediment, as in Fig. 3. I do not, however, mean to confine myself to this plan.

D represents a car or truck, consisting, preferably, of two side pieces, 0, which may be formed of a single bar or strap of iron bent as shown in Fig. 5, and separated sufficiently to receiveand afford free space for a sheave, d, the axle e of which is made of a length but slightly less than the interior width of the shell or sheath 0, so that when the car or truck is placed therein the axles will be prevented by the sides of the shell from working out, this construction also avoiding the necessity of riveting or otherwise fixing the axle firmly in place, though, obviously,this may be done if desired. The truck is furnished with four wheels, f, the axles g of which are made of a length nearly equal to the interior width of the shell or sheath, in the same manner as the axle of the sheave, only sufficient clearance for free movement or travel of the car being left, so that the axles cannot become misplaced, nor can the wheels become detached or removed from the axles.

E represents a cab designed to carry a number of persons, and made somewhat after the manner of the cab of ordinary elevators used in buildings. This cab is suspended, raised, and lowered by a rope or cable, F, passing over the sheave d, thence along the inside of the sheath or shell 0 to a pulley or sheave, J, at or near one end thereof, and down to a Windlass or winding-drum, G, geared with and turned by a crank-shaft,

A pulley, I, is applied to or formed upon the drum G or shaft H, and about this pulley passes a brake-band, J which is normally held and drawn closely about the pulley, either by its own elasticity, proper form being given it for that purpose, or by a spring, 7a, a weight, or other convenient means. The pressure or force of the brake can be relieved at any time as required by applying pressure to a footlever, Z, connected with one end of the brakeband J, as indicated in Fig. 4. This feature of having the brake normally applied and its effect only overcome by operation of the lever is one of great importance, for the reason that it avoids the danger of accident, through failure or inability to apply the brake at the proper instant, a danger that is liable to present itself through the calling away of the operators or attendants in charge of the Windlass, or through their running away to avoid falling timbers, *bricks, 860.

K indicates a second rope or cable, one end of which is attached to one end of the truck or car, passes thence below and about a pulley, L, along the interior of the shell or sheath,

over a pulley, M, and down to a Windlass, N,

equipped in the same manner precisely as the Windlass G-that is to say, it is geared to and turned by a crank-shaft, O, and either the drum or the crank-shaft furnished with a pulley, I, a brake-band, J, and alever, Z, by which to relieve the pressure of the brake.

In the drawings I have represented the two windlasses as mounted in one and the same frame, and this will be found a very convenient construction; but it will be seen that the rope or cable K may pass over instead of under the pulley L, and directly downward toa windlass at the same side of the building as the pulley L, instead of crossing to the opposite side of the building. The windlasses are of course located at the base of the building, either at the sidewalk, or in a vault or space beneath the sidewalk, and if at the sidewalk a dropping door is employed, which, falling down, passes out of the way of the cranks, &c.

The cab when not in use may be hoisted to an ornamental projecting inclosing structure at the top of the building, or at suitable elevation, or it may be lowered into a vault beneath the pavement, which should be furnishedwith upwardly-opening doors or covers.

The tube or shell maybe made of cast-iron, but will preferably be of rolled channel-iron, as shown in Fig. 6 in sections, each consisting of two longitudinal partslaid together and held-by outside clamps or bands, m, of sufficient width to receive and support the adjoining ends of the two separate sections or lengths of the tube or shell. The bands m will be made sufficiently heavy to support the weight of'the tube or shell and the weight brought thereon, and to prevent the same from spreading. The bands will be secured to the shell-section by tap-bolts, rivets, or other fastenings, as shown at n. The bands m will preferably be formed each with an eye at the upper side by which to suspend it. The sections being united by the bands m, their interior surfaces will be uniform and unbroken, affording an even track or bed for the car or truck.

With the apparatus arranged as above, the

brakes of drum N being caused to releasesaid drum, the car or truck D may be moved along the tube or shell 0 to any desired distance toward pulley L; or, if already at that side of the building, it may be movedinthe opposite direction by removing the pressure ofboth' brakes, permitting rope or cable K to unwind from its drum and winding the cable F onto its drum, the weight of the cab causing the car or truck to travel toward pulley M. By turning the drum G so as to wind the cable F thereon, and at the same time winding the cable K upon drum N, the cab maybe caused to rise and at the same time travel toward pulley L, or, in other words, to rise obliquely, and by reversing the direction of rotation of the drums the cab may be caused to descend, retracing its line of ascent. By winding the cable F upon its drum and at the same time paying out cable K, the cab may be caused to ascend obliquely from left to right, with the parts arranged as shown; or, finally, the car or truck D may be first adjusted to any desired position in the shell or tube 0, and then, the brake being applied to drum G, the cab can be raised and lowered vertically by windlass N. Thus it will be seen that the cabcan be perfectly controlled as to the direction of its movements and without the slightest difficulty. The details of the apparatus may of course be varied considerably; but the arrangement of parts herein described will be found very efficient.

I am aware that a hook has been suspended from a roller traveling within a slotted cylindrical tube. This I do not claim.

It is important that the track be either horizontal in cross-section, or that the rails composing said track be beveled or inclined down ward away from the slot, at each side thereof, the car or truck wheels being made of corresponding shape, in order that there may be no tendency to spread or open the tube, but rather a tendency to hold it against opening.

I am also aware that apulley-block has been arranged to travel along a rod or rail at the top of a building, and furnished with ropes by,

which to move it to one or the other side, such arrangement necessitating, however, the attendance of persons at both sides of the buildings and concerted action to adjust the block,

and no means being provided for adjusting IIO said block simultaneously with the raising or lowering of the cab.

If desired, the axle of the sheave (Z may be dropped down and the sheave allowed to pro- 5 ject through the slot in the bottom of the tube or shell, thus allowing a large sheave or pulley to be used.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is-- 1. In a fire-escape substantially such as described and shown, a shell or tube, C, formed in separate sections, the sections being united by an outside band overlapping the joint of the sections, substantially as and for the purpose set forth. 7 p

2. The herein-described fire-escape, consisting of tube or shell 0, car D, provided with sheave d, pulleys L M, cable K, connected with car D, and passing around pulley L and over pulley M, cab E, pulley j, cable F, passing over pulley j, and sheavedand winding-drum G N, arranged to independently wind andhold said cables, a substantially as set forth.

3. y In combination with drum N, the brakeband J, normally pressed against pulley I, and the lever 1, arranged, substantially as shown and described, to relieve the pulley from the pressure of said band. 4. In combination with cornice B, thetube or shell 0, eyebolts h, and rods z, all arranged as shown.

5. The herein-described car for use in a fire-l DENISON G. PIERCE.

Witnesses:

F. W. MERRELL, P. B. WIGHT. 

